Organic light-emitting diode displays with capillary-flow-inducing structures

US12324317B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Apple Inc. · US

Inventors

• Kuan-Yi Lee · Taipei, TW
• Takahide Ishii · Taoyuan, TW
• Prashant Mandlik · Lawrenceville, US
• Chih-Lei Chen · Kaohsiung, TW
• Bhadrinarayana Lalgudi Visweswaran · Princeton, US
• Ankit Mahajan · Sammamish, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 27, 2022
• Grant date: Jun 3, 2025
• Expiry date: Jul 18, 2043

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10K59/873

Abstract

An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display may have an array of pixels that each have OLED layers interposed between a cathode and an anode. The display may also include a planarization layer that is deposited using inkjet printing. To mitigate the need for dam structures to prevent overflow of the planarization layer during inkjet printing, capillary-flow-inducing structures may be included in the inactive area of the display. The topology of the capillary-flow-inducing structures may be propagated to a passivation layer such that an upper surface of the passivation layer has a similar topology as the capillary-flow-inducing structures. The planarization layer therefore undergoes capillary flow when deposited on the upper surface of the passivation layer. The capillary-flow-inducing structures may be formed from dots, rectangular strips, or trapezoidal strips. The capillary-flow-inducing structures may be formed from the same material as spacers in the active area or using another layer in the display.